FUN Indoor Camping activities for kids – great ideas for bad weather days!
When I mentioned in our Family Camping Adventures post that “I don’t do tents“, I guess I should have been more specific. I’m not a big tent fan if we’re staying outside, but I love a tent for indoor camping!
We loved having indoor camp-outs when the kids were younger. Heck, setting up a tent or making a fort at any age is a great time 🙂
Indoor Camping Ideas
The way I see it, you need 6 things for an amazing indoor camping session:
- a tent,
- something comfy to sleep on,
- flashlights,
- a campfire,
- fun activities to keep you busy
- and s’mores.
{You do not need bugs, which is why camping inside is much more fun!}
Take a peek at some of the fun ideas & awesome items you can use for your own indoor camping adventure! We’ve included affiliate links for things that you might want to add to your pretend play arsenal so a quick camp-in will be more likely to happen.
And take it from a seasoned ‘indoor’ camper — setting up a campsite for the kids will keep them busy for HOURS! It’s a great activity for a long weekend or to do on school breaks.
A Tent & a Campfire (Inside!)
The Stay at Home Mom Survival Guide shows us that a small or kid-size tent is perfect for camping out in the living room. And she shows you how to make your own ‘campfire’ with the kids too!
If you don’t have a tent, try this Pacific Play Tent 
We also love to have fun pretend play items on hand like this adorable Learning Resources Sprouts Camp Out! set which includes a pretend campfire, lantern and play food to roast over your campfire!
Activities for Indoor Camping
It’s always good to have some fun activities to do on the campout.
- Grab a flashlight and do some fun shadow activities for experiments!
- Watch a favorite movie & pair it with a STEM activity!
- Make marshmallow constellations & learn about the stars!
- Deconstruct electronics and create your own Tinker Kit!
- Build the Eiffel Tower using newspapers!
- Teach kids some of these favorite camp-out songs you learned a long time ago (anyone remember On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed ….?!)
Bring Nature Inside for Your Camping
- These beautiful Nature Weavings from Craftiments are the perfect way to introduce some nature into your indoor fun. Just send kids outside with a paper bag or basket and have them gather the materials they’ll need (bonus: fresh air for a little while!)
- Use this FREE printable Animal Observation Journal as an “out the window” activity during your camp-out!
- Make these beautiful Zentangle Rock craft as a fun and easy activity!
Indoor S’mores for your Camp-out
In my opinion, what’s a camp-out without s’mores??!! Did you know that you can make them in inside too? All Things Beautiful shows us how to make s’mores in the oven — who needs a stick!
Flashlight Activities for Indoor Camping
Grab those flashlights for some great camping activities! Or another great alternative to flashlights that also make it a very ‘campy’ feel is to use a Camping Lantern (that doubles as a star show!) 
- Start with fun reading time in the tent — Fun-a-day has a perfect set-up for some indoor camping activities!
- Play flashlight tag inside with the lights off.
- Play a game of I-spy using a flashlight.
- Make shadow puppets and tell stories
- And here’s a few of our favorite our favorite camping books if you’re looking for some fun reads!
Sleeping at an Indoor Campout
And when it’s time to go to bed, make sure and grab those sleeping bags ! We love the idea of sleeping near the fireplace, in the living room or on a screened-in porch (if the weather allows)!
Look What Mom Found reminds us that whether you spend the night in the living room or in your own bed, a sleeping bag makes it feel more like camping 🙂
More Fun Indoor Activities for Kids:
10 Things to do when the Kids have Cabin Fever
20 STEM Activities Inspired by Kids’ Movies
150+ Activities for Year-Round Learning
